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2009 - 2022

Botswana
Limpopo-Lipadi Private Game Reserve
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Limpopo-Lipadi is a 20000 ha private game reserve in the Tuli Block in Botswana, which we have been able to regularly visit for the last 10 years. Being situated in the transition zone between the arid kalahari and the moister eastern savannas, Lipadi boasts an impressive wildlife variety. With the exception of african buffaloes and some smaller cats like servals almost the entire list of african mammals is present. The bush is dense with many trees like knobthorn acacia, marula, white syringa or weeping boer bean, interspersed are several more open areas. In particular during the dry months waterholes are magnets for wildlife and offer outstanding chances to encounter wildlife, including all the african predators.

Browsers and Grazers 

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Bushpigs are probably common in Lipadi, but due to their strictly nocturnal activity and shy behaviour they are rarely seen.

Warthogs are relatively few in Lipadi. This formidable boar knows well how to defend himself against predators. Lions certainly would go for him, but risk injury, when the boar hits upwards towards the predators belly with his long and sharp teeth. 

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Impalas outnumber all other antelopes. They are a vital prey species and staple diet for Lipadi's wild dog and leopard population. The male (with horns on the right side) is enjoying a drink in the company of some of his harem members. Red-billed oxpeckers (see above) are tolerated, they remove ticks and other parasites.

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Common duikers are small and shy antelopes. This female carefully approached one of the waterholes.

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 group of wildebeasts at Mohorosi dam

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Kudus are large browsers, these bulls enjoy a sundowner drink at Tholo dam.

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female bushbuck near the Limpopo river

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Elands are shy and often come to drink at night. This large bull may weigh almost a ton, but still keeps the agility of smaller antelopes. 

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Zebras like this nervous group and the stallion (right) are dependent on water and very frequently visit Lipadi's waterholes.

Waterbucks - as the name suggests - are dependant on water and stay in the vicinity of permanent sources.

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Giraffes are a common sight throughout the reserve. Standing up to 5 m tall, lowering and raising the head, e.g. when drinking, should create enormous differences in blood pressure leading to unconsiousness or bursting blood vessels. However nature provides clever and unique adaptations like valves or buffering reservoirs in front of the brain, which prevent this.

In recent years Lipadi's growing lion population has learned to bring down even large giraffe bulls, so these animals need to be on constant alert and have to use their high vantage points well.

Not really to be classified as browser or grazer, baboons are one of two primate species in Lipadi. They are commonly found in the vicinity of water. This large male shows its impressive canines, which are on par with those of his biggest enemy, the leopard. 

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large herbivores

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Elephants weigh up to 5 tons and are the largest land animals. They are one of the few species capable of actively changing their environment by browsing and uprooting trees and thus creating a more open landscape. Problematic is a preference for certain tree species like knobthorn or marula and comparatively small, fenced reserves like Lipadi elephant numbers need to be controlled. The biggest concern are young bulls, which often demonstrate their growing strength by uprooting trees.

This group seems to behave and enjoys a dust bath. In a major effort in 2020 a significant number of bull elephants (20) were moved to a vast open reserve in northern Botswana. 

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An elephant trunk is a unique organ with multiple usages like grabbing food or sucking in water, which can then be sprayed into the mouth or over the body (as a coolant in addition to heat exchange by the large ears). Trunks are also used for breathing, support elephants keen sense of smell and act as sound amplifiers while trumpeting. 

in recent years Lipadi's breeding herd almost completely lost its fear of cars and this very relaxed behaviour offers great opportunities to observe the playful calfs

breeding herd at night ( cabbage dam)

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For the first time in decades white rhinos have been breeding once again in Botswana's Tuli region.

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In 2019 two of Lipadi's rhinos fell victim to poaching. Rhino horn unfortunately still fetches huge prices on east asian black markets, where people still believe in its medical effect. 

It was decided to greatly enhance the antipoaching unit and dehorn all remaining rhinos for their protection (see picture left).

Predators

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Black-backed jackals are a common sight. Mainly scavenging these canines often follow larger predators in the hope to participate in their kills. Jackals use speed and agility, thus avoiding to be punished by their stronger hosts, when stealing a meal. The warthog (upper right) was killed by lions.

Warthog and Aardvark burrows serve as den and usually during the month of October the newborn puppies come out for the first time. They stay with their parents for another 6 month, before most leave the territory.

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Bat-eared foxes favour open areas, they prey on insects. Huge ears help to locate insects deep in the ground, which are then dug out.

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Slender mongoose are solitary and diurnal hunters, which efficiently hunt small vertebrates like rodents, lizards and snakes.

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Banded mongoose rarely venture into the open, they are diurnal and live in large groups with several breeding pairs. Unlike some literature suggests - at least in Lipadi - they do visit waterholes and drink. Main diet are beetles, they may often be seen collecting those in elefant dung.

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Dwarf mongoose usually inhabit termite mounts, they live in gregarious, territorial groups with all members assisting the dominant breeding pair in raising their young. Diet is mainly insects and small vertebrates, accomplished by fruits and vegetable food.

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Honey badgers are largely nocturnal and not very often seen. They have a reputation to fight of anything they consider a threat. This includes lions, which also find it difficult to get a grip on the loose skin of these animals. Diet is varied, reaching from scorpions, small vertebrates and carrion to vegetable food. Also ratels -as they are sometimes called - have a fascinating symbiosis with honeyguide birds, which lead them to bee nests. These badgers are the only animals brave enough to go for the honey and bee larvae then, leaving some for the guiding bird.

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Another strictly nocturnal visitor at this waterhole is a civet cat. Larger than a genet it is not a fuzzy eater going for everything from rodents, lizards, centipedes, scorpions, carrion to vegetable food. Civets are rather shy and not easy to photograph.  

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This small spotted genet is strictly nocturnal and an excellent climber. It solitarily hunts birds, rodents and small vertebrates.

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An african wild cat was caught during its nocturnal hunt for rodents. Similar and closely related to domestic cats these predators master stalking with perfection.

A brown hyena left its burrow early in search of water on a hot day. Brown hyenas rarely hunt, but rather opportunistically go for carrion, specializing in bones.  Also fruit and vegetable are taken, when available.

Its cousin, a spotted hyena, is feasting on a wildebeest carcass. Likewise nocturnal, spotted hyenas are formidable predators. They hunt even large animals in clans. Missing sharp claws their biting strength is second to none in the animal world. Carrion is certainly sought after, but whether hyenas steal from lions or the other way round basically depends on the number of individuals of each species on the scene.

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Cheetahs are sprint hunters and run down their favorite prey - smaller antelopes like impala or springbuck - within the first few hundred meters of a chase. Lipadi's mostly dense bush is not their prime habitat. This female was spotted relaxing on one of the open plains. Cheetahs have always been known to enter or leave the reserve on their will, in spite of the sophisticated electrical fence. After 2015, when lions entered the reserve, cheetah sightings have become increasingly rare with very few individuals present today.   

Wild dogs have been mercilessly hunted all over africa and today are critically endangered with less than 5000 individuals remaining in the wild. Botswana is one of the last strongholds and Lipadi has been a safeheaven for many years. Lipadi's dogs originate from a litter found near Ghanzi in 2009. Males came in from Mashatu and the dogs have been doing exceptionally well with a staggering pack number of 36 in 2014. For those interested the complete story can be found in this booklet: 

https://www.blurb.com/b/10037652-twospots-and-the-wild-dogs-of-lipadi

(you may check the preview)

greeting ceremony at sunset before leaving for a hunt

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puppies at 3 months old on the move

Between 2010 and 2015 Lipadi's grand old alpha female Twospots gave birth to more than 50 puppies. Waterholes were a favourite playground for the puppies in those years.

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This radio collared female was a formidable hunter. On this occasion in 2013 she came from a fresh kill, still with bloody nose.

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In 2016 three dogs (including the collared female) had separated from the main pack. One early morning they killed an impala, not far from river camp.

Alpha pair in 2019, shortly before both naturally died. 

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Since then a new pack with new alpha pair (the two collared adults) has formed. In 2022 once again a large litter of 12 was born.  

Greeting ceremony before sunset. The 3 1/2 months old puppies were very mobile, but could not yet follow a hunt and needed to be fed by adults regurgitating meat.  

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playtime after having been fed

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Lipadi is an excellent place to observe leopards. Relatively dense bush and abundance of prey sustain a good population. Staple diet are impala and smaller antelopes like duiker, but leopards may also prey on larger antelopes like kudu or -on the other end - rodents and birds, on one occasion we even seen an aardvark kill. They typically stalk to within a few meters, jump on the surprised animal and quickly kill through a bite in the neck.

Leopards are most active at night, but the hour around sunset is a good time to see one of these cats looking for a drink after a hot day. Leopards can go without water for months, but if available they regularly visit waterholes.

This male appeared just before dark at Tholo dam.

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A number of individuals have lost their fear of cars and can occasionally be seen in bright daylight.

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Another large male narrowly missed an impala kill.

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In spite of impressive power and strenghth, leopards are not high up in the predator hierarchy. They usually give way not only to lions, but also hyenas and this female was treed by a single wild dog, possibly expecting a whole pack.

Leopards are excellent climbers, this female found a comfortable position on a horizontal branch.

Leopard mom and 9 months old cup at a waterhole. Birds coming to drink make an excellent tool to train and improve stalking skills.

feasting on an impala safely anchored in an acacia tree at first light

This male had just killed an impala and had started eating. After his meal he cleaned himself by licking paws and coat and went for a drink at a nearby waterhole. Later he pulled the carcass into a tree, feeding and guarding for several days. He did not like to share his food with a female leopard, which sneaked into the tree during a short absence and rather violently, with a lot of growling, chased her out of the tree into the night.

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In 2015 two male and one female lion entered the reserve, shortly followed by another two males.

The shy female (seen here with one of the pride males at cabbage dam) founded an sharply increasing lion population since then. More recently the lion numbers had to be reduced by translocations to other areas in Botswana.

Lions in Africa are the kings, dominating all other predators. In Lipadi they soon took over the role of dominating hunters from the wild dogs. What makes them special amongst cats is their life in prides. One or more males occupy and defend a territory gaining access to females. Together these large cats are capable of bringing down large prey species inaccessible to other predators. 

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The two bachelor males (upper and left) live without a pride sometimes together and sometimes solitary. They are in excellent condition, clearly demonstrating that these large cats are very capable of hunting alone. Almost certainly they are searching for a territory with females and might try one day to take over from the two territorial pride males.

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Only one of the pride males has the right to mate and frequent fights for dominance happen. However wounds usually quickly heal.

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cubs on a wildebeast kill, they are led already to kills at an age of just six weeks.

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In recent years the growing pride has learnt to kill even large giraffe bulls. In order to stabilize predator/prey relations and limit the number of lions in the reserve all lionesses have been given contraceptives recently.

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Young male guarding the cubs. At this age they cannot yet follow the pride while hunting and are vulnerable to competing predators like hyenas. 

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Reptiles

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Flap-necked Chameleon

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African Rock Python

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mating Rock Monitors

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Snouted (Egyptian) Cobra

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Nile Crocodile in the Limpopo river

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Other Nocturnal Mammals

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Springhares are a common sight in the warmer months. Diet is mainly grass and seeds.    

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A Lesser Bushbaby preys on insects on sight. These strictly nocturnal hunters are agile climbers and jumpers.

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Porcupines are gnaw and plant eaters, they know to defend themselves well with their stingers.

Aardvarks are surprisingly large specialized ant and termite eaters. Termite mounts are clawed open and the defending insects are then licked up with a very long tongue. The exceptionally strong claws are also used to dig large burrows, in which these animals sleep during the day. Vacant aardvark burrows are widely used by other animals.

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